Chapter 250
Wi Cheon-gyeong's expression turned as if he'd been struck on the back of the head. Shaking his own head, he finally spoke.
"But why collaborate to kill the Empty-Handed Divine Thief?"
"So the secrets of both orthodox and unorthodox factions won't leak."
Bu Eun-seol murmured the words while gazing at the distant sky.
"If either side monopolized the Divine Thief, all their hidden secrets would be exposed."
"Then why in blazes did you leave both the main force and even the Death Squad idle at the border?"
When a flustered Myo Cheon-u stammered the question, Bu Eun-seol's lips curled into a chilling smile.
"Only then would the Divine Thief choose to pass through here."
Goosebumps rose on Myo Cheon-u's skin at that smile.
Only now did he grasp what Bu Eun-seol had been aiming for all along.
"So... because the two factions joined forces, the Divine Thief couldn't hold out long. And since we'd been neglecting border patrols here, holding drinking parties instead—"
"Precisely."
Bu Eun-seol's smile brimmed with confidence.
"He will undoubtedly come through here."
The Empty-Handed Divine Thief must have surveyed this entire area meticulously from above. If things went south, he'd escape through the weakest point—this very stretch near Gwanmo Peak.
"So that's why you sent Yu Un-ryong..."
Finally comprehending the full scope of Bu Eun-seol's scheme, Myo Cheon-u's expression went blank.
The plan was ingenious, yet simultaneously reckless enough to border on madness.
What if things hadn't gone according to plan? What if the Demon Hall and Murim Alliance hadn't cooperated?
If combat had broken out in their impatience?
It could have sparked the very war between orthodox and demonic factions.
"You... you could've at least warned me beforehand."
Myo Cheon-u drew a shuddering breath as he spoke.
"One misstep and we'd have plunged straight into the abyss."
"Then the information might have leaked. Just like with the Divine Thief situation now."
Peeeeee!
Another signal flare shot into the sky nearby.
As Bu Eun-seol predicted, this flare wasn't calling reinforcements—it clearly marked where pursuing forces had located the Divine Thief.
"Seems the Murim Alliance caught the Divine Thief's trail first."
Just as Myo Cheon-u muttered these words—
Kwaaaang!
A sound like tearing fabric split the distant sky as a streak of light sliced through the air before vanishing in the opposite direction.
The Empty-Handed Divine Thief.
That terrifyingly swift shadow could only be him.
Thudthudthudthud!
Simultaneously, the sound of dozens of approaching footsteps echoed from afar.
"Myo Cheon-u!"
Bu Eun-seol's shout cracked like thunder.
"Command the unit to block all pursuing forces coming this way!"
Kwa-rumph!
With movement technique swift as lightning, he gave chase to the Divine Thief's disappearing figure.
"You heard the order!"
At Myo Cheon-u's bellow, every Death Shadow Squad member roared like wild beasts.
"From now on, we hold the line against all incoming trash! Third Squad! Take point! Second Squad will—"
Myo Cheon-u deployed the unit with systematic precision, establishing defensive formations.
Boomboomboomboom!
Dozens of shadows soon came pouring toward their position.
Their white headbands marked them unmistakably as masters of the Murim Alliance Sword Corps.
"Hold them back!"
At Myo Cheon-u's command, the Death Shadow Squad roared and charged forward in formation.
Kwaaaang!
Two streaks of shadow shot forth like loosed arrows.
The Empty-Handed Divine Thief led, with Bu Eun-seol close behind.
'He's fast.'
The fleeing figure moved with speed rivaling lightning itself.
Even with the Swift Shadowless technique pushed to its limits, Bu Eun-seol struggled to close the gap.
'He's wounded.'
Occasional droplets of crimson scattered from the fleeing figure's body.
Yet despite his grievous injuries, the Divine Thief maintained a pace Bu Eun-seol couldn't match.
'But endurance is my advantage.'
With his profound internal energy, Bu Eun-seol could sustain maximum-speed pursuit for half a day or more.
Whoooosh!
Noticing his pursuer, the Divine Thief's movement technique grew increasingly complex.
He'd dart lightning-quick into forests one moment, then use Qi-Piercing Ascent to scale cliffs and vanish again.
"Futile."
Whether from injury or not, the Divine Thief couldn't fully suppress his sound and presence.
Thus no matter how far ahead he got, Bu Eun-seol's Void-Breaking Mind's Eye instantly pinpointed him.
Grrrrumble.
The lightning-fast movements gradually slowed.
Finally stopping at a cliff's base, the Divine Thief leaned against stone, gasping raggedly.
"Haa... huu..."
Thud.
When Bu Eun-seol arrived moments later, his eyes narrowed at the sight.
The Empty-Handed Divine Thief, missing for decades, possessed the refined bearing of an immortal sage with delicate features.
Yet bright blood now flowed from his left chest, and the light in his eyes steadily dimmed.
A mortal wound was extinguishing his life.
"You..."
The panting Divine Thief pointed at Bu Eun-seol's face.
"What's your... relation to Go Wol?"
Once called the World's Greatest Divine Thief, he'd instantly recognized movement techniques matching those of his old peer.
"The master who taught me this technique."
"So your movement technique master, you say."
The Empty-Handed Divine Thief, still gasping for breath, narrowed his eyes.
"I heard he returned to Langya Pavilion in his later years. Then you must be from Langya Pavilion as well."
"That's right."
"Useless."
The Divine Thief gritted his teeth.
"No matter what you do, this old man will never open his mouth."
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
"Then don't. That would be preferable."
"If I heard your secrets, would I not spend the rest of my life pursued by both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths?"
"Wh-what?"
The Divine Thief blinked in surprise, then furrowed his brow at the unexpected response.
"You're a strange one. You don't even want the secret, so why did you chase me down?"
"Your sudden appearance threw this hall into chaos. The fact that the fight turned into a mud pit was just a bonus."
Bu Eun-seol spoke flatly.
"Frankly, I don't even need to lift a finger myself. Just die quickly."
"...Judging by your actions, you're not one of them."
One of them?
As Bu Eun-seol stiffened slightly and narrowed his eyes—
"Since I'm dying anyway..."
The Divine Thief let out a deep sigh and gazed at the distant sky.
"...I suppose I should unburden this resentment in my heart before I go."
Swallowing a bitter breath, he spoke in a low voice.
"This old man has never seen any Joint Petition listing spies from the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths. I merely spread the rumor that I had."
"You went mad trying to be hunted by the entire martial world?"
"Hahaha..."
The Divine Thief's eyes, still fixed on the sky, were etched with deep regret.
"I was just a decoy to divert their attention. After all, my movement technique was the greatest in the world."
It was an incomprehensible statement.
Had he spent his entire life as a fugitive just to draw someone's gaze?
"Aren't you curious who they are?"
"I don't care."
"Why not?"
"I have no interest in the affairs of the martial world. And some things... are better left unknown."
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled slightly as he spoke, but then his brow suddenly furrowed.
Only now had he noticed the peculiar hidden weapons embedded in the Divine Thief's back—like spines on a hedgehog.
Whoosh!
Bu Eun-seol stretched out his hand, and every single needle-like fragment buried in the Divine Thief's back was instantly pulled into his palm.
He had used Void Object Retrieval to extract them all in one swift motion.
"Don't tell me..."
The needles were covered in tiny, thorn-like protrusions.
In all of Murim, there was only one faction capable of crafting such exquisitely refined hidden weapons—
Wicked Incense.
A bloody light, deeper than crimson, rose in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
The same hidden weapons that had killed his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang.
Why were they embedded in the Divine Thief's back?
Did that mean the one who killed his grandfather... had also been pursuing the Divine Thief?
"Flesh-Rotting Blood-Decay Poison..."
The fragments were ultra-fine needles, their tips coated with a bluish liquid.
A deadly Extreme Poison from the Flesh-Rotting Blood-Decay lineage.
In an instant, a scarlet haze, like a heat mirage, flared in Bu Eun-seol's gaze.
"Who—"
His voice was thunderous as blood light, like mist, poured from his eyes.
"—threw these hidden weapons at you?!"
Sssss—
His rage caused his True Qi to erupt uncontrollably, and the needle fragments in his left hand melted instantly.
"Who USED THESE WEAPONS?!"
"What are you talking about?"
"These are Wicked Incense's hidden weapons—!"
But the Divine Thief's eyes were already growing dim.
The poison had spread through his entire body, and he had lost too much blood.
Had it not been for his profound Internal Power, he would have become a Wandering Spirit long before Bu Eun-seol caught up to him.
"Even if you die, ANSWER ME FIRST!"
Bu Eun-seol immediately pressed his palm against the Divine Thief's Life Gate Acupoint and channeled True Qi into him.
Crack!
But at that moment, a hard snap came from the Divine Thief's molars.
Like an assassin, he had concealed a poison-filled false tooth in his jaw.
Shudder—
As the poison spread through his body, the Divine Thief's eyes dimmed further.
The last remnants of his life were fading away.
"SPEAK!"
Bu Eun-seol suppressed his surging emotions and poured his Internal Energy into the man.
Whoosh—
The pure Reverse Polarity True Qi, infused with both Yin and Yang Qi, spread through the Life Gate Acupoint and into the meridians. A faint light flickered in the Divine Thief's eyes.
"The one who shot you with Wicked Incense's hidden weapons coated in Flesh-Rotting Blood-Decay Poison—WHO WAS IT?!"
"Flesh-Rotting Blood-Decay... Wicked Incense's hidden weapons..."
But as Bu Eun-seol spoke, a strange glimmer appeared in the Divine Thief's eyes.
"Indian Yoga Art..."
Bu Eun-seol's chest burned as if it might explode.
The Divine Thief had just named the killer's defining trait—something Bu Eun-seol hadn't even mentioned.
"That's right. The one who uses Wicked Incense's hidden weapons and Indian Yoga Art—WHO IS IT?!"
"Seven Fingers..."
The Divine Thief's unfocused gaze drifted toward the distant sky as he whispered.
"...Seven Fingers Demonic Blade... Bu Jan-yang."
With those final words, he breathed his last.
Bu Eun-seol's vision blurred at the unexpected answer.
Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang.
That was the name of the legendary swordsman—the former Deputy Hall Lord of the Demon Hall, who had vanished long ago...
And the very same name as his grandfather.
"Could it be that the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang is still alive... and that he is the murderer who killed Grandfather?"
Or is Grandfather himself the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang?
No, that couldn't be.
The breathing technique Bu Jan-yang had taught him since childhood was the Tendon Transformation Sutra, the supreme orthodox martial art.
How could a legendary master of the Demonic Path possibly have mastered the Shaolin Tendon Transformation Sutra—a technique never once leaked to outsiders?
Besides, hadn't Grandfather always had all ten fingers, warm to the touch?
But...
The doubts remained.
How could a master who had learned Shaolin's supreme divine art become a lowly undertaker for the Magistrate's Office—someone even beggars would shoo away?
In the end, Grandfather's true identity was something even Bu Eun-seol did not know.
Swish!
At that moment, a black cloud surged from the distant sky before crashing to the ground.
Thud!
The man clad in a strange, glossy martial uniform was none other than the Heavenly Slaughter Unit Commander.
"Empty-Handed Divine Thief!"
The commander alternated his gaze between Bu Eun-seol and the corpse before raising his voice.
"What the hell happened here?"
"..."
Bu Eun-seol stood motionless, his eyes unfocused, as though he hadn't heard a thing.
The commander's voice boomed again.
"Are you deaf to this commander's words?"
Slowly, Bu Eun-seol turned his head.
"I pursued someone fleeing near Official Hat Peak," he said weakly.
"But he suddenly stopped his Movement Technique here... and died on the spot."
"Did he say anything to you?"
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"I heard nothing."
Wi Mu-yeom's piercing gaze bore into him, as though probing for the truth.
A strange energy seemed to extend from his pupils, meticulously scrutinizing Bu Eun-seol.
Yet Bu Eun-seol remained utterly still, his vacant stare unchanging.
"Hmm."
A deathly silence lingered before Wi Mu-yeom swallowed his words and turned away.
He then examined the Empty-Handed Divine Thief's body with great care.
'The wound near the heart is fatal.'
His eyes narrowed.
The weapon that had pierced the heart was thin and sharp—not an ordinary sword, but something closer to the flexible swords often wielded by orthodox masters.
'None of our forces use chain swords.'
Then, upon inspecting the back, his expression twisted.
Flesh struck by hidden weapons was already rotting away from poison.
'An Extreme Poison of the Flesh-Rotting Blood-Decay category?'
Wi Mu-yeom frowned.
The rapid decay made it impossible to identify the hidden weapon used.
'Hmm.'
The wound had narrowly missed the heart, but the bleeding was severe—as though every drop of blood had been drained from the body.
'The key is when they encountered each other.'
Wi Mu-yeom calculated the time it would have taken for the Divine Thief to flee at full speed using Lightness Art.
'He wouldn't have died instantly upon arriving here.'
If Bu Eun-seol had been present at that moment...
They must have exchanged at least a few words.
'Hmph.'
Wi Mu-yeom's gaze sharpened.
But with no witnesses to confirm their interaction... the truth would remain hidden.
Crack!
Just then, a white bolt of lightning streaked across the sky as a man in white martial robes descended.
It was Yi Se-cheon, the Sword Unit Commander leading all forces of the Martial Alliance.
"Tch."
His face darkened at the sight of the Divine Thief's lifeless body.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Meanwhile, members of the Heavenly Slaughter Unit and the Thousand Sword Corps arrived one by one, lining up behind Wi Mu-yeom and Yi Se-cheon.
With the Empty-Handed Divine Thief and Bu Eun-seol at the center, the two factions now stood in tense opposition.
A suffocating silence fell, the atmosphere growing dangerously hostile.
"Who are you?"
Yi Se-cheon stared directly at Bu Eun-seol.
No answer came.
"You seem to have been the first to discover the Divine Thief."
His brow twitched as he pressed further, but Bu Eun-seol remained silent.
There was no need to kindly explain the situation to a commander of the Martial Alliance.
"Hmm."
Yi Se-cheon exhaled before turning his attention to the corpse.
"Commander Wi. Since we agreed to pursue him jointly, surely you won't object to us examining the body?"
Wi Mu-yeom neither consented nor refused.
"Well, well..."
Yi Se-cheon approached slowly, his eyes lingering on the scars left on the Divine Thief's body.
His vision blurred slightly as he studied the sharp wound piercing the heart.
'This isn't the Demonic Path's handiwork.'
Though it appeared brutal, the method of piercing the heart was more aligned with orthodox swordplay.
Demonic Sword Arts prioritized maximizing lethality—twisting or dragging the blade upon withdrawal.
Yet the wound showed a clean, instantaneous strike, the sword withdrawn with precision and speed.
'This makes no sense.'
Yi Se-cheon had discovered the Divine Thief's trail almost simultaneously with Wi Mu-yeom and pursued him swiftly.
But the Divine Thief's Movement Technique and Concealment Art were extraordinary, causing them to lose track briefly.
By the time they found him again, he was already a cold corpse—with no clue as to who had killed him or how.
"Since we cannot determine the killer, the Alliance will retrieve the body for a proper autopsy."
Wi Mu-yeom scoffed.
"Nonsense."
His voice was low and firm.
"Our unit will take the corpse."
"So... it comes to this."
A glint flashed in Yi Se-cheon's eyes. A direct clash was now unavoidable.
But then—
Sssss—!
Suddenly, white smoke began rising from the Divine Thief's body.
At the same time, his skin melted away, dissolving into a pool of crimson blood that seeped into the ground.